Introducing Angela Millar Soul Art on Etsy

Everybody knows that I love Etsy shops, and even more so, I love to showcase Etsy sellers here on my blog. Most recently, I've discovered the shop of an Australian artist named Angela Millar.

Angela's work includes original paintings, travel photographs, greeting cards, and prints. Her art covers a variety of themes that reflect nature, spirituality, and mythology. I like the diversity of her work; as I scrolled through her listings, I was sometimes surprised by an image that I didn't expect. For example, paintings of Ganesh and the Buddha were followed by paintings of a regal flamingo and a smiling mermaid. Angela's image of the Buddha included in this post is called "Young Buddha."

The profile page on Angela's Etsy shop reveals that she took up art less than five years ago when she moved from Sydney to a small seaside town in New South Wales. As another person who loves the sea, I can perceive the influence of the coastal locale in her work in the swirls of color and the feelings she conveys of the natural world.

There's much to like about her work, and my own favorite pieces are the ones that depict animals, such as this beautiful peacock print of a painting called "One Hundred Eyes" which I think would appeal to art lovers of all ages, young children included.

In Angela's own words, "One of my favorite subjects to paint is Buddha, and a favorite medium is acrylic paint, I love using rich and vibrant colors thickly layering them onto the canvas to create interesting textures."

By the way, her artwork has also been published in a coffee table book called Amazing Australian Artists, compiled by ArtMeGallery.com.au. This book is carried by The Art Gallery of NSW, which is a great honor for her. Angela's painting "Blue Buddha" has been used as the cover image of the inspirational book, Wisdom Within: Awakening the Empowered Woman, by L.H. Owens. I suspect that we will be seeing her work published in many more places over the next few years.

Check out https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AngelaMillarSoulArt and explore her work for yourself! I love that Etsy brings artists all over the world to everyone's doorstep with just a couple of clicks.

Introducing Living in Brüklyn by Joe Bloch

Joe Bloch is an artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He has been running a Kickstarter campaign to fund his latest product, Living in Brüklyn, which is a series of paintings, products, and prints offering a unique perspective on Brooklyn with an industrial edge that is also influenced by street art, impressionism, and graphic design.

But the best way to get to know his project is to check out some examples of his work, like these paintings.

The Kickstarter campaign launched in mid-May and will run through June 13, 2015. You can also learn more about Joe Bloch and see lots of samples of his work at www.creativebloch.com.

The premiums for donors to the Kickstarter are really cool and include original artwork, such as these signed prints.

The paintings in this series are made over a long process involving many layers of acrylics. The days-long process creates a unique depth of color.

Really, the more I look at Joe's work, the more I wish I could see it in person. He has over 25 years of experience as an artist, and his knowledge of Brooklyn's overlooked buildings, cars, and other aspects of the city come through in a bold and intriguing way.

If you're looking to support the work of a creative and independent artist, check out this Kickstarter!

Introducing Artist Gia S. Monroe

I always like to visit artists' websites, and Gia S. Monroe has a fun site called Art Crazy & Trinkets. On the main page of the site, Gia currently has posted a variety of original images she calls "Original Crazy Art" which you can have printed on greeting cards. Her artwork is also available on calendars, t-shirts, posters, and more. Many of her images are figurative and show beautiful women; some have an element of fantasy to them, and all of them are vivid and colorful.

Gia creates unique art using multiple mediums. She also produces what she calls a "creature feature" which means the customer can provide her with a picture, and she will make a portrait as any creature/character that he or she desires; it's a one-of-a-kind piece of art and makes a fun gift.

If you click on the word "more" on the upper right corner of Gia's site, you'll find some other treasures as well. If you're looking for handcrafted three-dimensional art pieces, you can find beautiful butterfly night light terrariums in different shapes and sizes. There's also a health and beauty section which features all organic and naturally handcrafted products such as anti-aging creams and perfumes.

Gia is a creative person who works on a lot of different projects, and I wish her the best with her website and her artistic career. Check out artcrazytrinkets.com to learn more about her and her work.

Miracle Canvas: An Online Store for Canvas Prints

It seems like every time I go into a home decor or arts/crafts store lately, I see canvas prints. I've seen all sorts of designs, from retro images featuring Hollywood stars and vintage ads, to modern cityscapes of everywhere from Paris to San Francisco. If you like the look of visual art printed onto artist canvas, there are also options to have custom canvas prints made to order, using images of your choosing.

Miracle Canvas has a nice selection of options available for making a unique canvas print to match your individual taste and your home or office decor. You can upload your own photo or choose from their library of images. They can split your image into several parts so that you have a one-of-a-kind sequence of canvases to display on your wall.

The Miracle Canvas blog showcases different ideas for creating and displaying images. See also the company's YouTube page for videos about how the print creation process works.

I browsed the customer reviews on the company's website and found this tidbit from a satisfied customer: "Miracle Canvas took care of things the average eye ignores like a museum quality canvas fabric and stretching; iron clamps fastened canvas that does not sag."

Miracle Canvas is worth a look if you're in the market for canvas prints and would rather create something yourself than buy "off the rack" at your local store.

Meet Jason Wickens, Photographer and Owner of Fotoviva

Jason Wickens is a member of the Fotoviva Art Prints photography team and owner of the online gallery. Offering a unique range of award-winning photographic art, Fotoviva are one of the UK's leading suppliers of wall art, selling photographic art printed as either canvas prints, acrylic prints or poster prints. Fotoviva has been operating since 2006 and offers over 700 images, created by a team of photographers; visitors can also create prints from their own original photos.

1. Could you talk about the different options for prints that you offer through fotoviva and the unique features of each option?

Every one of our art prints can be purchased from the online gallery in a wide range of options which means when you have chosen your favourite picture, you can be sure the final print will match your interior design. We can print the images on canvas, acrylic, or poster. We find most people like the canvas print option as they are ready to hang and in fashion right now. We can print the canvas as a gallery wrap which means the image is wrapped around the wooden frame. This gives a continuous feel to the print. The acrylics are becoming very popular too; the glossy look suits modern interior home designs, and people love the way the light makes the picture look like it has depth. Posters are ideal if you are working on a budget or have an existing frame you want to use. We also offer a range of standard sizes, so you can buy a wall print that suits the blank space in your room. Of course if you need a different size print, we can work out our best price, too. Often we have photographers looking for specific sizes for their clients.

2. What have you looked for when selecting photos over the years to build your catalog of 700+ images?

Our image collection has grown over the years, as has the number of photographers we use. When looking for new images, we only accept photographs which we feel will suit being printed as wall art. Customers tend to look for creative and artistic photo prints, rather than just snapshots of nice locations. The photographers we use always produce really nice images such as the seascapes, black and white work, and the creative modern art series.

We also only use images of the highest resolution which ensures we can print them as large canvas art without losing quality. Some of our canvases have been printed at over three metres, so we need to ensure the image will not look pixelated at large sizes. Our photographers use high-end DSLR cameras and good quality lenses--they are also well-versed in post-processing which means they produce files which are up to the high standard we require.

3. What tips would you offer for people (in terms of composition, photo size/quality, etc) who want to make prints from their own photos?

From our printing service we can transform your own digital photos into canvas or acrylic prints. As a rough guide, for best results you should be shooting at the camera's highest resolution setting. This not only allows us to print the picture bigger, but it also allows scope for any cropping you need. Images from phone cameras are not ideal for large prints as the camera sensors are not up to the job, but they do tend to be OK for the acrylic photo blocks or small canvases. Also, try to shoot in good light so the picture is clear and punchy. You can always send us your photo first, and we can check it out to see if it is suitable for printing from.

4. Your panoramic prints are striking. Do you find that people order these for their homes or businesses or both?

The panoramic canvas prints tend to be ordered for the home, but of course some do go to businesses who want to add some affordable art to their offices or receptions. When you see a panoramic print hanging on a wall it really does look great--I think it is the unusual aspect ratio which catches the eye. Also, the fact you can see so much more of a landscape scene means there is plenty of detail in the picture. Panoramic art is also ideal for wall spaces which don't have enough height for a standard wall print, such as above mantle-pieces or across landings. They do seem to sell particularly well, and some of the panoramic views we have in that collection really are a feast for the eyes!

5. What are your suggestions for people who want to affordably decorate their home and office spaces with unique photographic art?

Of course we have a great collection of photographic art and with prices starting from as little as £16, there is art that's affordable for anyone. However, a great tip for finding other affordable art is to explore the work of local photographers. You might see them displaying their work on stalls or in small local galleries, and by buying direct from the photographer, you can get some affordable art straight from the artist themselves.

Thanks, Jason!